Author's note:
Hiya! I'm back! You may notice this is uploaded later than the previous ones, and it's all because I was on a scout meeting.
I was told to stop being sarcastic about myself, and I wish to apologize. It's cuz I live in Sweden, it's second nature. But I'll try and stop it. Forgive me? And the eternal pride and glory has officially been won by xXxSlytherinAtHeartxXx! *hugs*
4. Stirrings
The dungeon in Marmoreal wasn't very nice, Tarrant figured. But they were much better than those in Salazen Grum. In Salazen Grum there was something sticky, probably blood, on the floor, and you got chained to the walls if you were unlucky. In this cell it was dry and clean, and Tarrant could pace back and forth. And he could talk to the guards, even though they usually didn't reply. Mostly, they just gave him odd looks.
Talking to them, however, kept Tarrant from remembering his own stupid acting. He wouldn't be surprised if Little Stranger -no, Little Friend- never wanted to see him again. To be frank, he wasn't so sure he wouldn't want to see himself again.
"I am a despicable creature." Tarrant groaned and covered his face with his hands.
Little Friend was so kind, and she reminded Tarrant of his sister and also someone else, but Tarrant still couldn't figure it out.
It was the Horunvendush Day. Tarrant had always enjoyed this day and its celebrations. And the new queen was there, too! She didn't dance, but looked as if she was having a good time.
"Dance with me, Tarrant!" his sister had laughed, grabbing his hands.
"Anything for you, dear sister." Tarrant smiled.
Then they danced, swirling and twirling over the dew-coated grass. Tilly's last Futterwacken… During the dance they got into an argument, and Tarrant stormed off. He never got a chance to apologize. Not long thereafter all was gone. The entire Hightopp clan! But not Tarrant. He was alone in this world.
Tilly could never forgive him…
Tarrant couldn't remember what they had argued about, but he hoped it had been something important. He would have given anything to be able to apologize to Tilly.
"'Ave ye 'eard?" one of the guards caught Tarrant's attention. "Th' champion 'as returned.
The champion! Alice!
"The Alice?" Tarrant asked, not even bothering to hide his eagerness.
"Aye. Fell through th' ceilin' she did."
"Is she…" Tarrant voice trailed off.
Please don't let her be dead.
"She's fine. Th' queen 'ad 'er patched up in no time."
Thank the White! Alice wasn't dead! Of course, Tarrant would have preferred it if she wasn't hurt at all, but you can't have everything, can you? Alice wasn't lost anymore. Oh, the joy!
Alice had come back, of course she was back, she had promised to be back before he knew it, and she was back, and he hadn't known, he should have known-
Splendid! Just wonderful. Now even his own treacherous mind was rambling nervously. An odd look from the guard informed Tarrant he'd been speaking it out loud.
"Pardon." Tarrant whispered with a faint smile.
The only reply was a grunt that, by the sound of it, wasn't something very nice to say.
"Could you let me out, so that I may see Alice?"
"Th' queen said ye'd ask. She told me th' say ye're 'ere for yer own good, so ye can't 'urt yourself."
"Why would the queen think-" Tarrant shook his head in disbelief, then he noticed the fresh bandages wrapped around his hands and forearms, some of which the blood had seeped through already. Tarrant yelped and blinked vigorously, as if he could make the damage go away just like that. It must've happened during the Madness (not a very nice word, even though it begun with an `M`), he always got injured during it.
I've lost it, haven't I?
He probably had, even though he couldn't decide on what `It` was.
"Why won't you let me see her?" Alice complained. "She's my daughter."
"You are hurt, Alice. It would pain Isabel to see you like this." Mirana explained once again.
"I'll be better once I get to see her, I'm sure."
Mirana silence a laugh, Alice could be so stubborn at times. "Fine. You can see her, but not too long, you need rest to get better."
The thought of seeing her daughter again actually made Alice look healthier, Mirana noticed. Perhaps love was what Alice needed.
"I'll go get her." Orissa the chambermaid said after a look from the queen, and scurried into the labyrinth-like castle.
"Alice, have I ever told you of one of my biggest losses?" the queen asked, sitting down on her friend's bed.
"No, you haven't. Tell me, Mirana, that's what friends are for."
"Many years ago, there was a man, a pirate who found a way to Wonderland. I was young and naive, and I fell in love with him. He loved me too, or at least so he said, but he could not live in Underland. He almost died. I had to let him go. But that's not all of it." the queen paused, saving up the courage to continue. "I had a child with him. Mother and father wouldn't let me keep my son, they sent him up to Otherland. That's why I've never married, I couldn't love anyone like I loved my pirate." There were tears in Mirana's eyes as she ended her story.
"Didn't you see him ever again?" Alice asked, tears glistening in her eyes as well.
"I did. Once." Mirana smiled bitterly. "He had another woman whom he called mother. Another man he called father. I never had the courage to speak to him… He turned out to be a handsome young man, didn't he? He reminds me of his father."
"I-I don't know, Mirana, I've never met him."
"You have met him many times. I believe he was visiting your residence the other day, painting a portrait if I am correct."
"William Darcy is your son?" Alice gasped.
"That's his name? William… No, I never called him that, his name is Faramund."
Mirana smiled at some distant memory. "I will leave you alone." She strode off, much to Alice's confusion.
The second later, there was a knock on the door. "Hi, mommy!"
Author's note:
That's that and the end of this chapter, unless, of course, it, in fact, isn't. I like to write the Hatter, he's always so strange and sometimes confusing, something I love very much. I like being confused, but it's probably because I'm mad. Ta-ta! (I like that phrase…)